7 girls and 7 newsies
by firexelement
Summary: A group of girls meet the newsies and friendships, if not more, start to form.


Disclaimer- I only own the charcters that aren't from the moive. all songs in this chapter are from oliver and company.

Chapter 1 Meeting the Newsies

It was a colder then usual in Manhattan. There was a thin layer of frost on everything and people kept slipping on the thin ice on the streets. Racetrack Higgins blew on his hands and watched his breath go up in a cloud of smoke.

"I's freezing out here." He grumbled to his friend Jack Kelly, who stood in front of him in the line at the distribution center.

Jack only nodded his agreement slapping down two bits and grabbing his papes. "You selling at the races today?" he asked.

"When don't I?" Race asked with a smirk.

"Good point."

After Race bought his papes he began his long walk towards Sheepstead, catching a ride on a wagon that was passing by and selling papes the entire way. As he walked in he looked around. There were few people there but enough to sell the reminder of his papes to. When he was finished he walked up to the track and looked at the starting gates. No horses were in it so he walked around the back.

And that's when he first saw her. She was standing with her back to him brushing a tall black horse. She was tall and slim and had a long black braid falling down her back. The hand holding the brush was long fingered and slender and he could here her talking softly to the horse.

"Shh, it's alright Prance. Its okay." She whispered in a quiet voice. The horse seemed a bit jumping so Race walked quietly up to them, being sure to be in the horse's line of sight so he wouldn't startle him.

"Urm hi. I's haven't seen yous around before." He said softly.

The girl gave a slight jump before looking over at him. She had dark green eyes and a pretty face. "I just started working here. I just moved from Queens." She said smiling.

Race stared at her for a second. She was beautiful. Holding out his hand he said "Racetrack Higgins."

She took his hand "Filly."

"So's yous just moved here?" She nodded. "Yous got a place to stay?"

"Yeah I stay at the girls lodging house."

"Yeah? The place I stay, the newsie lodging house, is right across the street."

Across the city a petite girl walked slyly next to a vendor swiping up a hand full of nuts as she passed. She nearly laughed at how clueless he was of her. Tossing the nuts in her mouth she pulled the wallet out of the person in front of her out and stuck it in her pocket. She was just about to walk up into the girls lodging house when she ran into someone and fell on her but.

She jumped up quickly pushing her dark red hair out of her black eyes. "Watch where your going!" she snapped at a boy a little older then she was.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't see you! Are you hurt?" the boy asked kindly. She was slightly puzzled. The boy didn't have an accent but it looked like he new the city well.

"I'm fine." On a whim she spit in her hand and held it out. "I'm Puzzles."

He spat in his hand and took hers. "David Jacobs. And are you sure your not hurt?"

She smiled at his concern. "I'm sure." With that she walked up into the lodging house smiling like an idiot. She'd forgotten what it was like for a stranger to care for you.

Kid Blink walked with his head down holding his aching wrist. He'd gotten in another fight with the boys from Harlem. They'd called him a wanna be pirate and he kinda lost it. Jack was going to be angry at him. He'd told them all to stay away from Harlem as they tended to fight dirty over small things.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the music until he was right next to its source.

A raven haired girl stood on the street corner her eyes closed playing a sweet tune on a violin. He stood next to her and listened until she finished. She bent over and picked up the few coins scattered at her feet. Blink pulled a nickel out of his pocket and handed it to her.

"Yous play real good." He said shyly, sticking his hands in his pocket.

She smiled seeming as shy as he did. "Thank you." She said in a voice barely above a whisper taking the nickel from his hand.

"Uh how longs yous been playing?"

"A few years." She said pulling at a thread on her white sweater.

"Oh. My names Kid Blink. What's yours?"

"My names Emerald. But my friends call me Tune." She said looking at him with startling green eyes.

"Uh well Tune, would you like me to walk you home?" Blink said nervously.

"Sure. I live in the girls lodging house. Do you now where that is?" Tune spoke a little louder then before clearly confessed as to why he'd want to walk someone like her home.

"Yeah, I live across from it, In the newsies lodging house." Blink said with a smile.

A girl with long bright red hair looked out from behind a curtain nervously. Her eyes, the left purple and the right gray scanned the crowds finally landing on the person she was looking for. It was the same boy who'd been there every night since she'd started working there. He was a creepy man with slicked back black hair and shifty eyes. She'd heard somewhere his name was Morris Delancy. He gave her the creeps.

"There you are! Your on, Mist!" Tom, one of the theatre hands said coming up behind her.

"Oh, right!" Mist turned and ran onto the stage just as the curtain went up. She quickly adjusted her bright pink dress. She hated wearing dresses but they wouldn't let her wear pants on stage. But this theater was the best she'd ever worked at, Medda was a great person and a pretty good singer.

As she heard the beginning of the song she opened her mouth and started singing.

"Girl, we've got work to do  
Pass me the paint and glue  
Perfect isn't easy  
But it's me  
When one knows the world is watching  
One does what one must  
Some minor adjustments, darling  
Not for my vanity  
But for humanity  
Each little step a pose  
See how the breeding shows  
Sometimes it's too much for even me  
But when all the world says, "Yes"  
Then who am I to say "No"?  
Don't ask a mutt to strut like a show girl  
No, girl, you need a pro  
Not a flea or a flaw  
Take a peek at that paw  
La la la la  
Perfection becomes me, nest ce pas?  
Unrivaled, unruffled  
I'm beauty unleashed  
Yeah!  
Jarred rock, hard stock  
So classic and classy  
We're not talking Lassie  
And Ah! Ah! Ooo. . .  
Tho' many covet my bone and bowl  
They're barking up the wrong tree  
You pretty pups all over the city  
I have your hearts and you have my pity  
Pretty is nice but still  
It's just pretty  
Perfect, my dears  
Is me" She ended with a long note and stopped when she was about to pass out from lack of breath. She smiled at the cheers and gave a quick curtsy and ran off the stage.

"Oh Mist that was great!" Medda said stopping her. "Are you free tonight? It's Valentines Day so I'm throwing a party for the newsies. Can you stay and sing?"

"Oh sure! But can I bring the other girls from the lodging house? We usually don't go to parties so they'd have a blast!" Mist said trying to hide her eagerness.

"Of course you can bring them! The more the merrier!"

By the time Mist had reached the lodging house she was out of breath. She'd run the entire way there once she'd changed.

Running up the steps she raced inside waving to Tune as she passed her and some guy sitting on the couch. Wait! Tune and a guy. She whirled around and looked. Tune was sitting with a guy! Wow, that was a first. She continued up the stairs and burst through the door.

"Whoa Mist what's the rush?" Filly asked from where she was sitting on the floor.

"Party…at…Medda's. Wanna come?" she asked panting.

"Sure!" Puzzles said walking into the room in time to hear her.

The rest of the girls nodded there agreements. There wasn't that many of them. There was only Mist, Filly, Puzzles, Tune, Swipes, Sneaks, and Flower.

They all had different personalities and yet they fit each other so perfectly. All of them had different jobs and hobbies and likes but they all got along.

They all rushed to get ready for the party.

Kid Blink walked inside the lodging house humming. Walking into the bunkroom he found nothing but madness. Race was running around with out a shirt on and Snipeshooter was yelling something about his hat. Blink looked around and found what seemed to be the only sane person there. "Hiya Spot. What are yous doing here?"

Spot turned to him and looked at him with his cold blue eyes. "Don't yous remember? Medda's party tonight." He said in a bored tone. Suddenly Spot caught sight of the fact that Blink was holding his wrist. "Wha happened?" he asked pointing to it.

"I um fell." Blink mumbled looking away.

"Right." Spot said with a snort. But thankfully he left it alone. Soon all the newsies that were going were ready and they left.

When they got outside they saw that a group of girls were walking out of the girls lodging house. Blink perked up surprisingly and walked over to Tune.

"Hey Tune. Where are yous lovely ladies going?"

"Medda's." said a girl he didn't know but it seemed Race did as he walked up and offered her his arm.

By the time they reached Medda's they had all the girls laughing and joking like they where old friends.

"You ready to start Mist?" Medda asked coming up behind her.

"I think so." Mist said kind of nervous. She'd never sung in front of such a large crowd.

"Good luck hun." Medda said patting her shoulder and walking off. Medda had already got the crowd riled up by singing. What if the booed her of stage! Oh God! She was way to nervous. She walked on stage and stared at the crowd.

Just when she was about to start a voice she recognized as Swipes scream "Go mist! Knock im dead!"

Mist broke into a giant grin. Opening her mouth she let her voice belt out.

"One minute I'm in Central Park  
Then I'm down on Delancey Street  
From the Bow'ry to St Marks  
There's a syncopated beat  
Whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo  
I'm streetwise  
I can improvise  
Whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo  
I'm street smart  
I've got New York City heart  
Why should I worry?  
Why should I care?  
I may not have a dime  
But I got street savoire faire  
Why should I worry?  
Why should I care?  
It's just bebopulation  
And I got street saviore faire  
The rhythm of the city  
Boy once you get it down  
Then you can own this town  
You can wear the crown  
Why should I worry?  
Why should I care?  
I may not have a dime  
But I got street savoire faire  
Why should I worry?  
Why should I care?  
It's just bebopulation  
And I got street saviore faire  
Ev'rything goes  
Ev'rything fits  
They love me at the Chelsea  
They adore me at the Ritz  
Why should I worry?  
Why should I care?  
And even when I cross that line  
I got street savoire faire  
Whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo"

The cheers when she finished were loud! She smiled so big she thought her face would fall off.

She started singing the song that was going to be the last song she sang that night.

"Now it's always once upon a time  
In New York City  
It's a big old, bad old, tough old town, it's true  
But beginnings are contagious there  
They're always setting stages there  
They're always turning pages there for you  
Ain't it great the way it all begins  
in New York City?  
Right away you're making time and making friends  
No one cares where you were yesterday  
If they pick you out you're on your way  
To a once upon a time that never ends  
So, boy, don't be shy  
Get out there, let go and try  
Believing that you're the guy  
They're dying to see  
'Cause a dream's no crime  
Not once upon a time  
Once upon a time in New York City  
If it's always once upon a time  
In New York City  
Why does nightfall find you feeling so alone?  
How could anyone stay starry eyed  
When it's raining cats and dogs outside  
And the rain is saying, "Now you're on your own"?  
So, boy, don't be scared  
Though yesterday no one cared  
They're getting your place prepared  
Where you want to be  
Keep your dream alive  
Dreaming is still how the strong survive  
Once upon a time in New York City  
Keep your dream alive  
Dreaming is still how the strong survive  
Once upon a time in New York City  
Keep your dream alive  
Dreaming is still how the strong survive  
Once upon a time in New York City  
And it's always once upon a time  
In New York City…"

With that she walked off stage and changed into her regular street clothes. Pants and a button up shirt that was missing some buttons.

Walking out into the crowd she found Filly talking to some guy.

"Oh Mist!" Filly cried seeing her. "You were great!"

"Thanks. Where's everyone else?" Mist asked. Filly pointed to a loud and crowded table. Mist walked over there but was stopped by a boy with the most prettiest eyes she'd ever seen.

"Yous good." He said in a voice that spoke of authority.

"Thank you." She said blushing.

"Spot Conlon." He said sticking out his hand.

"Mist Ramesie."

Like it? Love it? Hate it? I don't care which just review!


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